Relief

So yesterday I finally got up the nerve to ask my new boss if I could take off early one day a week to see T (T's been seeing me in the evening since I changed jobs). And he said yes!!! I was so worried that I'd be asking for something they couldn't do. T was willing to see me after hours but didn't really want to do that forever. I've only been at my new job for 2 months now, but T had a 4:15 appointment on Thursdays (hard to get!) that sounded like it might be workable. It was painfully difficult for me to get up the nerve to ask my boss if I could leave at 3:30 on Thursdays (in exchange for working later other nights), but he was fine with it. So now I can go to therapy and not even have to go back to work afterward (I used to go over lunch, but T's office isn't that close to where I work now).

I'm very happy about this. Makes me like my new job more too. Wish it weren't so far to T's office, but I took what I could find.

I told my new boss the truth. Specifically I said I see a "mental health professional" every week. For some reason that seemed a better way to go than saying "therapist" I don't know why. But I had wondered whether it was best to tell the truth or not. He didn't seem bothered by it in the least. Didn't ask for documentation or anything. Just said it was fine and to let him know if anything changed (like if I needed to go at a different time or something).

Well I can't even tell you how happy I am about this. And in exchange of course I'll do really good work and be available late on the other nights if there's any kind of crisis. In fact, I think I'll be the most pleasant employee around.

Sidony

Oh, that's wonderful, sidony! I know that relief. I always hated in interviews to have to mention that, etc.

aww good for you!

i always tell people i have a standing appt on whatever day... sometimes i tell them it's physio, other times i say it's a treatment program. i have a lot of medical issues though, so it's not odd for me to have appts and stuff.

this must be a huge weight off your shoulders

Thanks!

I was too worried about getting a job to make it a condition of employment, though I would have been really brokenhearted about it if I had to terminate. Although T did tell me he would accommodate me even if work couldn't. But I didn't want to do that to him so I'm really happy that it worked out.

I especially like that my individual therapy will be on Thursday now because I have group therapy on Monday evening. I've always wanted to space the two out (used to have individual on Tuesday). This will be nice. Plus I used to have to go right back to work after therapy (which is disconcerting to say the least) which I won't have to do now.

Happy happy happy,
Sidony

So glad it worked out for you, sidony.

By the way, how is the new person doing in your group? Does it feel strange not to be the newest?

Really glad that it worked out for you sidony. Makes me feel hopeful about finding a job that might let me start late Tues. mornings so that I can go to my alcohol treatment group, in exchange for working late other days.

--splitimage

T called me at about 9 p.m. this evening to tell me he'd gotten the message I left him about switching to Thursdays (I'd left it late on Friday). He said it was fine and was double-checking that I'd intended to start that this week. As it had only been about about 4 minutes since he'd called, I actually had the nerve to call him back (on his cellphone no less) and confirm. I can't believe I did that. Maybe I am changing.

Sidony